


a study in omakase

by nicolorenaldigenovia



Series: in all the worlds: TOG tumblr prompt fills [5]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Blushing, First Dates, Flirting, Fluff, Kind of!, M/M, Meet-Cute, Sharing a Meal, Sharing a drink, Soft Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Soft Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Sushi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:53:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29085672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicolorenaldigenovia/pseuds/nicolorenaldigenovia
Summary: “It’s always the best set, chef. I’m looking forward to my meal,” Nicky says, and soon, Ken was working his magic. It’s always amazing seeing a sushi master work.He’s on his third piece—a succulent piece of white tuna over rice with a hint of wasabi and yuzu—when he feels someone sit beside him on the bench. It’s not uncommon that people sit on the bench like he does, but it is also quite rare. He doesn’t turn to the man until he’s finished savouring the piece, and when he does, he can’t help but stare.The man’s face was still flushed from the cold, a bright orange scarf still wrapped around his neck. He was pulling it off his face, brown eyes already reading the menu, his curls spilling out of his hat as he pulls it off, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. As soon as he pockets the hat into his shrugged off coat, he grabs the menu with both hands and brings it to his face, and his lower lip juts out in a slight pout.Nicky can only imagine that’s what he looked like the first night he walked into the restaurant.But he probably didn’t look that cute.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: in all the worlds: TOG tumblr prompt fills [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2114157
Comments: 8
Kudos: 127





	a study in omakase

**Author's Note:**

> Another tumblr fill, found [here](https://theyusufalkaysani.tumblr.com/post/641749682367971329/oh-la-la-for-the-meet-cute-challenge-can-you-do).

“May I have that bottle?” 

“…long day Mr di Genova?” 

Nicky blinks, and then sighs, smiling sheepishly as the chef wipes his hands and directs his sous to grab a new bottle of the sake he had just pointed at, before he pulls out a small glass for Nicky to use, handing it to him. Nicky takes it with both hands, and smiles as he cracks the bottle open after getting it, keeping one hand gently around the cup, the other under it. 

“Thank you, chef,” Nicky says, and Ken chuckles softly, kind elderly eyes shining. 

“Too polite. We’re with friends,” he says, like he always does. And like always, Nicky just smiles at him with a nod, before goes for his first sip, sighing as the warmth spreads down to his chest, getting rid of the tenseness of his shoulders. 

Nicky’s been going here since he moved into the city two years ago. If you needed to find him at the end of every month, you’ll find him here. Ken’s even made sure that he even has his usual seat. And depending on the month, he’s either celebrating or wallowing. 

Deadlines drive him to drink. This is probably the worst of them all. He takes another sip, and just sighs. 

He might as well make sure it’s of quality. 

“I’ll make you the best set yet, Mr. di Genova,” Ken says from behind the counter, and it makes Nicky smile. The chef has grown fond of him, ever since he walked in, wide-eyed and inexperienced in the world of sushi. When he saw Nicky staring at the menu looking lost, and then fascinated at the way he worked, Ken had taken the time to ask if it was the first time he was having sushi. 

At his affirmative, Ken then answered all of Nicky’s questions in their shared language with the patient of a saint, and his eyes lit up every time Nicky liked something. He had his first omakase that night, and has been getting one since. 

“Your palette has since developed,” Ken had said one night, a year after their meeting. “It has now become a challenge to satisfy it. Very exciting!” 

It was the biggest compliment. He showed up the next month with some homemade amaretti that the man loved and brought home to his grandchildren. 

“It’s always the best set, chef. I’m looking forward to my meal,” Nicky says, and soon, Ken was working his magic. It’s always amazing seeing a sushi master work.

He’s on his third piece—a succulent piece of white tuna over rice with a hint of wasabi and yuzu—when he feels someone sit beside him on the bench. It’s not uncommon that people sit on the bench like he does, but it is also quite rare. He doesn’t turn to the man until he’s finished savouring the piece, and when he does, he can’t help but stare. 

The man’s face was still flushed from the cold, a bright orange scarf still wrapped around his neck. He was pulling it off his face, brown eyes already reading the menu, his curls spilling out of his hat as he pulls it off, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. As soon as he pockets the hat into his shrugged off coat, he grabs the menu with both hands and brings it to his face, and his lower lip juts out in a slight pout.

Nicky can only imagine that’s what he looked like the first night he walked into the restaurant.

But he probably didn’t look that cute.

He looks at Ken and smiles when he sees the chef already nodding towards the man, as his hand expertly works on Nicky’s next 

“Would you like some help?” he asks, softly, and the man looks up, and smiles. 

Nicky feels his face heat because the man’s giving Ken a full smile, all teeth and dimples, visibly relaxing as he puts his menu down on the table, nodding. His curls bounce as he does, and Nicky tries not to trace every bit of the ringlets. 

“Yes please. I’ve not had this beyond the ones that you get in the supermarket back home. When I moved, I told myself I was going to try it for real,” he says softly, and Ken nods to him softly. 

“You have been trying it for real. Now we just make sure you are trying it as it’s meant to be experienced,” Ken says, before laying out a piece in front of Nicky then, and the man turns to him, and blinks at him staring. 

Nicky jumps, eyes widening a little, before he looks down at his plate. A piece lone piece of scored squid over rice is waiting for him, a wedge of lemon right beside it. 

“Thank you chef,” he squeaks out, and Ken chuckles then. When he looks up, the man is still looking at him curiously, and looking at his piece on his plate, before looking up at Ken. 

“Where do you recommend I start?” he asks, and Ken smiles, washing and wiping his hands before sticking his hand out to the man. 

“My name is Ken Okanabe,” he says, and the man grins, taking it with a hearty shake. 

“Yusuf al Kaysani. But please call me Joe,” he responds with a smile, and Nicky feels a smile coming to his lips, so he finally gets on with the piece on his plate. 

“Okay Mr al Kaysani,” Ken says smoothly, already going to work. “If you trust me, I shall make you a set that I think you’d like,” he says softly, and this man, Joe makes a soft noise, before laughing softly to himself, after giving a “yes, I trust you, chef.” 

Nicky looks up to him again then. 

“He’ll never call you Joe,” he says with a smile, and the man blinks, turning to him. Then he grins. 

“Oh?” 

Nicky smirks. “Nope. Two years and he’s yet to say my first name. But you can trust him,” he says, just as Joe gets his first piece on his plate. Joe takes one bite of it and lets out a sinfully, happy noise that makes Nicky blush and the rest of the restaurant look at him, but he’s not seeing anyone because his eyes are closed as he savours it. 

Ken looks so proud. 

Meanwhile Nicky might not survive this meal. 

But it is a joy, seeing Joe enjoy every piece, and soon he’s asking Ken question after question, Nicky feels like he’s watching someone else go through an already lived experience. It was kind of trippy, but also quite gratifying. 

If only Nicky wasn’t so damn bothered at how this man can go from cute to sexy after a piece of sushi.

At the end of his set, Nicky takes his bottle of sake and shares it with Joe as he finishes his set, starting small, and Ken shows him how to accept the pour. One handed casual, two handed with respect. Joe accepts it with two and Nicky tuts. 

“Too polite,” he mutters, which makes Ken laugh in the background. 

“Too polite, he says!” 

Joe grins then. “Thank you, Mr di Genova,” he says with a wink and Nicky flushes. 

“Nicky,” responds, as he sits back down. Joe smiles softly after taking a sip, sighing. 

“Thank you, Nicky.” 

Then, Ken’s placing a plate between two of them, an assortment of different kinds of sushi, in pairs. It makes his mouth water as he stares at it. 

“On the house. Mr di Genova can answer more questions if I’m busy, Mr al Kaysani,” Ken says with a smile, before moving to some new patrons, and Nicky blushes as Joe turns to him earnestly, moving closer and closing the gap between them, just as Nicky does the same. 

“Ready, Joe?” he asks, and Joe just smiles, taking his glass of sake, and together, they cheers. 

“Always, Nicky.” 

And suddenly, this end of the month is the best Nicky’s ever had. 


End file.
